What is Iran's Guardian Council?: The Guardian Council is a twelve-member Iranian constitutional body that vets all legislation for compliance with Islamic law and screens all candidates for elected office. Six members are Islamic jurists appointed by the Supreme Leader; six are lawyers nominated by the judiciary. No law or candidate may proceed without its approval.
Who is on Iran's interim council after Khamenei's death?: Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in February 2026, Iran formed a three-person interim council under Article 111 of the constitution comprising Ayatollah Alireza Arafi (a Guardian Council member), President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei.Source: Iran Constitutional Apparatus
Does the Guardian Council vet Iran's Supreme Leader?: No. The Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, not The Guardian Council. However, the Council does vet candidates for the Assembly of Experts itself, giving it indirect influence over who can elect or remove the Supreme Leader.
How does the Guardian Council compare to the Assembly of Experts?: The Guardian Council vets laws and election candidates; it has no role in selecting the Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts appoints and can theoretically dismiss the Supreme Leader. The two bodies are distinct but linked: The Guardian Council screens who is permitted to run for seats on the Assembly of Experts.Source: event
Is the Guardian Council still functioning after the 2026 Iran strikes?: Yes. The Council's institutional role survived the 2026 crisis intact. One of its members, Ayatollah Arafi, was appointed to the Article 111 interim council, confirming the body's continued constitutional standing.Source: Iran Constitutional Apparatus

Background

Established under the 1979 Iranian Revolution, The Guardian Council comprises six Islamic jurists appointed by the Supreme Leader and six lawyers nominated by the judiciary. Its core functions are vetting legislation for Islamic and constitutional compliance, and screening candidates for elections including the presidency and Parliament. No law passes without its approval; no candidate stands without its clearance.

The Guardian Council sits at the centre of Iran's post-war constitutional crisis. When Ali Khamenei was killed in the 28 February 2026 US-Israeli strike, Iran's surviving institutions scrambled to fill the power vacuum. A Guardian Council member, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, was named to the three-person interim council under Article 111, sharing emergency executive power with President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Chief Justice . He survived because he was absent from the Assembly of Experts headquarters when it was struck.

The Council's legitimacy now depends on how much real authority the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei can consolidate. Analysts note that Mojtaba owes his position to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), not to clerical consensus, raising questions about whether the Council retains independent institutional weight or simply reflects IRGC preferences .

How the World Sees Them

Israel

Israeli assessments treat the Council's survival as evidence that Iran's theocratic architecture persists despite decapitation strikes. The composition of the post-war interim council, including a Council member, confirms its institutional durability.

United States

Washington views the Guardian Council as a structural obstacle to any negotiated settlement, a body that can veto any leadership concession before it reaches the public. Its continued function is an indicator of regime resilience.

Iran (hardliners)

The Council has long been the hardline establishment's gatekeeper, disqualifying reformist and moderate candidates at will. Its survival intact through the 2026 crisis reinforces its role as the filter through which any political change must pass.

Iran (reformists)

Reformist factions have repeatedly seen their candidates disqualified by the Council, viewing it as a tool of theocratic entrenchment rather than constitutional oversight. The crisis has not softened that dynamic.